My Journey of becoming a Writer -By Bulus Chongsu John

From a young age, I never had a passion for writing. In fact, when it came to writing, my brain would suddenly cease to function. It’s not that I disliked writing, but it simply didn’t seem to be my forte. I believed that one must use sophisticated vocabulary to be considered a legitimate writer.

When I gained admission to study mass communication at the Polytechnic, I realized that I needed to awaken my brain from its slumber. I would often wonder if writers possessed two heads; if so, I was ready to grow a second one. As a mass communication student, we were required to write frequently. This was there the problem began. I would spend hours trying to write a paragraph that would be both catchy and attractive. This became the most challenging time in my life, as I hated myself for allowing my brain to get the better of me.

There were times when I saw myself as worthless in the realm of writing. Whenever I picked up my pen and paper to write, questions would flood my mind. Yes, I doubted myself. I wondered, what if my ideas seemed uninteresting to readers? What if my ideas had an impact on society? What if I ran out of ideas? So many “what if” questions haunted me.

All credit goes to my lecturer, Mallam Abdul Ahmed Burra, for his constant encouragement. He would always say, “Write down your ideas, no matter how insignificant you think they are. Write, write, write, and write until you become proficient.

I then made a promise to myself that I would write. His words are inspiring, and they give my doubting heart reason to try again. I told myself that giving up is never an option.

Bulus Chongsu John write from Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic Bauchi Mass Communication department and can be reached via johnbuluschongsu@gmail.com